For starting a one woman campaign against Easyjet's overbooking policy...

[onelittlefish]

I cam home from Spain today. At check-in I was told "sorry madam, the flight is overbooked - would you mind staying until Saturday. We will give you compensation" - obviously my answer is no. I have two children who I would like to see.

Anyway, at the gates to go on the aeroplane I see an elderly lady and man having a bit of an argument. Because they were the last to check-in they were told they had to get off the plane because there was no room for them. They tried ardently to stop them from taking their baggage off the plane but there was nothing that could be done - the men on the ground had already taken their luggage off and they were told they had to stay.

As the air stewardesses were herding us like cattle on to the plane into our shrunken economy seats, we were told "the flight is completely full, please make your way down the plane and hurry up", again we were told "this flight is COMPLETELY full". They were proud of the fact they had just kicked an elderly couple off the plane, and I felt they had no right to be proud of themselves. The couple wanted to leave.

Now what I did not realise is that overbooking a flight is now a common practice on EAsyjet flights (and other flights). It feels morally wrong to me. The point is that when I book a place on a flight it means I want to fly on that day. I have fulfilled my side of a contract - their side of the contract is that I should be able to fly on that particular day, that I paid for. Does anyone else think easy jet is outrageous or is this one woman campaign going to fizzle to nothing.

It's just common practice on all airlines, it's not specific to EasyJet.

It's annoying, but if you don't want your air fares to double overnight I guess it's just one of those crappy things you put up with. I thought they normally asked for volunteers to delay and take compensation before compulsorily chucking people off flights but I've fortunately never been in that position so I don't know.

Wow!! I had no idea that this policy existed. I would be so shocked if this happened to me. Is it in their terms and conditions.

Good luck with your campaign. Do other airlines do this, I know it used to be common practice.

The shithouses.

Do people commonly not turn up for flights, then?

They all do it and so do hotels.

yup, the cheaper flights are more likely to get no-shows so maybe they overbook more? (I have no evidence for this) but all airlines sometimes overbook... BA offer pretty generous compensation and there's usually a student or backpacker able and happy to take it.

Hotels overbook all the time. 9 times out of 10 you will get a last minute cancellation or no show.

Yes TheBigJessie - the airlines presumably have some sort of actuarial type statistics that they base the overbooking on to account for the expected number who won't turn up for a particular flight.

But, but, but... Don't you lose the money if you don't turn up?

Everybody knows this, surely? Have you never watched any of those 'Airline' shows?! It's bloody miserable if no-one on that particular flight wants to take the compensation (which is usually generous) but I thought it was common knowledge?

Yeah I suppose you do. I bought 2 return flights for DH and I to go skiing with work following an extended period of peer pressure a couple of years ago, then remembered that I hate skiing and decided not to go. So there's 2 seats each way empty that I paid for. Bah!

It is shit and I can't believe airlines do this. Ok so people often don't turn up so problem solved, or some passenger agrees to a later flight, fine. But to be forced off the plane?!

The last time this happened to me (with BA I think) they asked if we'd be happy to wait a few hours for the next flight, and we'd get an upgrade to business class. Errm, yes please! It was very shorthaul so not the full BC experience but it was fine by me!

DH and I went on a years RTW trip years ago. When we got to the airport we were told our flight to India (also with BA)was overbooked so they were looking for people to fly the following day. They offered a hotel and £150 each compensation. we thought about it but decided against it as that date had been etched in our minds for so long as the date our adventure started. stupid really, as £300 buys you a hell of a lot in India and Asia, as we got seriously scammed and rather scared on our first night away so not the best start to our trip!

(oh and on the same trip we arrived rather late for an Australian internal flight. As we were the last to check in, they couldn't seat us together so one of us (i.e. me) had to sit up the front in business class, shame!)

I always assumed that the no-shows were more likely to be business travellers than people going on holiday who have paid for it themselves. But I suppose you always get people being I'll or having an emergency.

They all do it, best to turn up early if you want to be sure of getting on the plane.

Yes I missed a business flight a couple of years ago too when I had to return early from a conference and so re-booked onto an earlier flight (with a different airline, so couldn't change the ticket) - gosh, I am a one-woman no-show, errrr - show!

When I was back packing we used to pray for an over booked flight, as on the big jets once economy is full they move some people up to business and first on their economy tickets. (They have a pecking order, I'm not sure what it is but I know that my friend who was using her dads business airmiles card got upgraded so that must be one of them).

They over book on every flight, a different amount on different types. It usually balances out, and as others have said some people will take the compensation and move the flights.

IIRC some big companies book a certain number of seats on popular routes every week for their travelling staff, and I think this can account for alot of no shows, they book and pay for a set amount and some days they may not be needed, but it works out cheaper for them than waiting untill they know who needs to travel where, and paying higher fares at the last minute.

It's disgusting and pure greed on their part imo.

This policy is not new, years old, hence the fact that they ask you to phone nad confirm you are going to travel on that flight.

I've had this before with Travelodges. Friends have had it with an expensive all inc holiday to Egypt - got to the hotel and were turned away. DH had it with a flight back from Texas with BA.

It goes on a lot and its shit.

What would your company do if you rang up and told them that you were stuck i nSpain for another 4 days if you were expected back at work?

Surely if everyone has paid, they are not losing out if people don't turn up?

You're right, they wouldn't lose out. If they sell all 400 seats and only 395 people turn up they've still sold all 400 seats.

But if they sell 405 seats and only 400 people turn up then they've made an extra 5 seats profit and everyone gets a seat and the company make more money.

I think they price the tickets to allow for a certain numer of no shows. If there are 100 seats they always sell maybe 120 and that is how much they need to run that flight. If they only sold the 100 seats (and therefore everyone always had their seat and no shows were left empty) then the price of the tickets go up.

It is common practice. I think it is also more likely on either chartered or scheduled flights but can't remember which-so not much use!
As an aside, if people were that concerned about the elderly couple then they could have offered their own seat in place.